What are parental controls?
Parental controls are settings available across devices, apps and networks. They let you manage screen time, in-game spending, content, communication and more.
We know how hard it is to navigate online safety across all the tech your child interacts with. That’s why we’ve created a range of step-by-step parental controls, safety and privacy guides.
For younger children, these parental controls guides can help you customise their digital experiences and learn online safety. For older children, these guides can help lead conversations around safety settings on social media, in video games and beyond. Showing them how to use safety tools can help them take ownership of their safety.
Will parental controls keep my child safe online?
Parental controls are an important part of online safety. They work like a safety net for when your child spends time online — like the helmet they wear while cycling.
However, they work best if you also take other actions. Having regular, casual conversations about their online experiences is one way to do this.
Learn how to talk about children’s digital lives.
Additionally, learning about common online safety issues and staying up-to-date can help you catch any potential harms.
Explore our online issues hubs to learn more.
It’s also important to consider whether your child is ready for whichever device, app or game they express interest in.
See our guidance on children’s first connected devices.
See online safety checklist
FAQs
Parental controls are a valuable tool available on most devices and apps, and they are designed to help parents manage what content their children can access. They allow you to restrict certain websites, apps, or content categories that might be inappropriate for certain age groups.
Why is it important to set parental controls on personal computers mobiles and media devices? ›
In short: Parental controls can help keep children and young people safer online by preventing access to harmful content, managing time spent online and who your child communicates with.
How to set up parental controls on devices? ›
Set up parental controls
- Open the Google Play app .
- At the top right, tap the profile icon.
- Tap Settings Family. ...
- Turn on Parental controls.
- To protect parental controls, create a PIN that your child doesn't know.
- Select the type of content that you want to filter.
- Choose how to filter or restrict access.
Parental controls allow you to block and filter upsetting or inappropriate content. They work across your WiFi, phone network, individual apps and devices. Parental controls can help you to: plan what time of day your child can go online and how long for.
Why is parental monitoring important? ›
When parents make a habit of knowing about their teens—what they are doing, who they are with, and where they are and setting clear expectations for behavior with regular check-ins to be sure these expectations are being met—they can reduce their teens' risks for injury, pregnancy, and drug, alcohol, and cigarette use.
Why is digital parenting important? ›
Importance of Digital parenting
Digital parenting skills helps parents find the right balance in maintaining real life human and virtual/ digital bonds. It helps the whole family to partner with technology in a progressive, enabling and independent way, with the freedom to use it responsibly.
Why is it important to protect your devices? ›
Keep your private information private
Your computers and laptops store a huge amount of information about you. Make sure you know how to use them safely to keep that data secure. Your mobile devices contain a lot of information about you.
Why should parents control their children's access to the internet? ›
The Internet is home to countless p*rnography sites, inappropriate videos and images, dating websites and apps, and social media platforms where children and teens can be exposed to harmful content as well as potential online predators. Another concern for parents is how time-consuming Internet time can become.
Why is it important that users protect their computers and mobile devices? ›
If your devices are not protected, identity thieves and other fraudsters may be able to get access and steal your personal information.
How effective are parental controls? ›
The researchers concluded that more parental control does not ensure teen safety and that a certain amount of autonomy in allowing teenagers to make appropriate decisions may be the best approach for parenting.
Parental controls are features designed to help parents monitor, restrict, and guide their child's use of technology. The four types of parental controls are content filters, usage controls, computer usage management tools, and monitoring.
Can parents see your search history with parental controls? ›
The answer to this question is both yes and no. Parents can see the websites their children have visited while on the family's wifi network. However, they cannot see the individual web pages that were visited.
Why parental control apps? ›
They do this by allowing you to monitor your child's activities online, on social media, and across video sharing platforms as well as moderate your families access to apps and websites that could be unsuitable.
What age should you stop using parental controls? ›
As you build trust together, you can also start talking about how you'll start removing these restrictions as kids get closer to 18, because ultimately, they'll need to learn how to navigate tech on their own. “I like to let go of control as they're turning to 16 or 17,” Werle-Kimmel says.
Can parental controls see your apps? ›
Yes. Parental control apps can monitor most of your child's online activities, including screen time usage, browsing history, installed apps, and more.
Why should parents monitor their kids digital lives? ›
Many parents say they need to watch what their kids are doing online so they can keep their children safe and out of trouble. Plus, if teens know that their parents are watching, they'll be less likely to post mean comments or engage in other bad behavior.
Why should parents limit the use of technology? ›
Spending too much time on screens has been linked to not getting enough sleep, bad grades, and a greater risk of obesity. Here's some information about why it's so important for parents to limit screen time and the effects it can have.
Should parents control children's use of electronic devices? ›
Excessive use of electronic devices can lead to health problems, insufficient sleep, and poor exam performance . It is important for parents to set limits on media exposure and teach their children how to use technology safely .
Why is digital safety important for children? ›
Development of digital skills
Allowing children to explore the internet under supervision helps them develop digital literacy and competence. Navigating websites, using educational apps, and understanding basic online safety principles are essential skills that will serve them well in the future.
